The Flyer and The Earth-Walker
by AbsoluteAnarchy
Summary: Deidara is fascinated by the legend of the Flyers; mysterious beings that watch over the humans or 'Earth-Walkers'. When he was young, he stood at his window and wished to meet one. So what will happen when, a few years later, a Flyer named Sasori falls from the sky and lands in his backyard with a broken wing? WARNING: SasoDei & other Akatsuki pairings. Don't like? Don't read.
1. Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Note: this can be classed as SasoDei. If you do not like the pairing, please do not read.**

* * *

_Summary: The Flyer and The Earth Walker_

_Deidara is fascinated by the legend of the Flyers; mysterious beings that watch over the humans or 'Earth-Walkers'._

_When he was young, he stood at his window and wished to meet one. _

_So what will happen when, a few years later, a Flyer named Sasori falls from the sky and lands in his backyard with a broken wing? _

* * *

'They're fucking disgusting things!' slurred Madara, violently slamming his drink down on the table for the fifth time, 'I'll be glad to see them go!'

The group Uchihas surrounding him nodded silently in agreement with their leader. That was true. Flyers were no better than animals and deserved no place among humans. Their peaceful nature made them weak and useless, and their weapons were primitive. It was a good thing Madara was rallying all the humans in the city tomorrow to drive them out; only a few remained after the series of attacks and it would be good to be rid of them once and for all.

One of the men grinned maliciously. 'So the plans are all set then?'

Madara glared at him. 'Of course you imbecile, haven't you been listening for the past hour?'

The man flinched and nodded hurriedly. In truth he hadn't heard a word and had been too busy flirting with the waitress that stood behind the bar. Madara sneered and threw his glass of alcohol on the floor before standing on top of the long wooden table. 'My friends, as the strongest of the city it is our responsibility to protect our species! Flyers are nothing more than a burden to us; they're weak and stupid, and deserve to be driven out. What did the Pied Piper of Hamelin do when the city was overrun with rats? He removed them! He lured them away!'

The group of man cheered in support of their leader's claims. Madara laughed darkly and continued, 'These things hinder our success! If they stay we will pay the price. There are some who wish to befriend them and help them. Some even want for us to _mate_ with them!'

The crowd of Uchihas hissed at the statement and began to argue amongst themselves, making snide comments about the vile species they were going to get rid of. Madara smirked and held up one hand for silence. Then he spoke again and held up another glass, 'My followers, someday history will judge us for this noble act and in years' time our descendants will praise us! A toast to humanity for we are humans – Earth-Walkers – and we are superior!'

The group erupted into joyous laughs and cheers at the final words and there were several clinks of glasses.

The next day all the humans in the city gathered outside their homes and - under the guidance of the Uchiha clan - demanded that all Flyers leave their land immediately. Where they went no one cared, as long as they no longer resided among their society. Hashirama, the passive leader of the Flyers at the time, stated that he would respect their wishes and led his people from the city. The Flyers spread their great wings and flew after him towards the mountains never to return.

Ever since that day the two species became separated and over time a few of the humans came to regret their choice. All but the Uchiha clan. They maintained that their decision had been for the best and that the Earth-Walkers were far better off without the winged beasts.

But unknown to them those 'beasts' still watched over the city and vowed to protect each human citizen with their life. Their philosophy was that hate could only be stopped by love, even if that love was unrequited. They became guardians of the city and were rarely seen by humans. Eventually the days of Madara and Hashirama ended, and the legend of the Flyers had to be passed on by word of mouth.

An Earth-Walker was deemed to be blessed or lucky if he or she ever caught even a glimpse of the beautiful winged creatures that did not age. Very lucky indeed.

* * *

_I have been re-writing this for a while and I have changed several plot points. I am also going to take a reviewers advice and fix the problem with the sugar in one chapter. Now that I know it doesn't cause hyperactivity, it shall be replaced. I'm kinda OCD when it comes to accuracy of stuff._

_Please don't hate me for this, my friends, I'm so sorry. :(_

_Thank you for reading; I appreciate it more than you could imagine. _


	2. Read Me a Story, Mama!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

'Mama! Mama! Will you tell me a bedtime story? Please, un?'

The woman smiled lovingly down at her son as the boy crawled into bed and tucked himself under the quilt.

'Of course Dei, which story would you like?' she asked. She walked over to one of the many oak shelves in the room and scanned the titles of the books, waiting to hear his choice.

'Tell me your story about the Flyers again, hm!' chirped the boy, hugging his teddy bear close to his chest.

'Dei, you've heard that one so many times. How about something new?'

'Please mama! I want to hear it again, un!'

The lady sighed and sat down on the bed next to the young boy. She gently placed her arm around him to pull him closer and turned on the lamp beside his bed, giving the room a dim yellow glow. The light reflected in the child's golden hair and made it shimmer. The boy's blue eyes lit up and he snuggled down, listening intently. His mother calmly cleared her throat and began.

'A long, long time ago, when I was just a girl, I went into the forest outside the city to pick blackberries. Now, these blackberries were the juiciest and most delicious blackberries that anyone had ever tasted, so I took a basket with me to bring some back for everyone to enjoy…'

The child leaned forward in anticipation and the woman put her hand to her mouth and giggled at his expression.

'But when I was out there some nasty people started a fire in the forest and pretty soon I was trapped in the flames!'

She put her hands in the air and waved them around wildly for emphasis, earning a few giggles of delight from her son.

'But someone saved you, mama! Didn't they, un?' asked the boy.

'They did. I was lost in the smoke and all I could hear was my family calling to me. I thought I wouldn't make it, but then I saw _him_.'

Deidara shuffled forward eagerly. 'Saw who mama?'

'One of the Flyers, child. He appeared out of nowhere and carried me out of the flames before I got hurt.'

'What did he look like, mama, hm?' asked the boy. His grip tightened on his teddy bear, making its brown button eyes bulge slightly.

'I know he was very tall and very handsome, and he had long dark hair in a ponytail with bright red eyes. But not the eyes of a monster.'

'And what about his wings, mama? Did you see them when he carried you away, hm?'

'They were very big and the colour of the night sky,' the woman whispered. She turned and looked out of the boy's bedroom window at the magnificent pale moon, remembering the event as clear as if it had happened yesterday. 'But I never saw him again…'

'Do you think I will see one, hm? Actually, I want to be one when I grow up! Even though I don't have any wings…'

His mother laughed, 'Who knows, child? Maybe you will be lucky. Not many people get to see the Flyers and they don't normally like to be seen, but I'm sure if you look hard enough you will find one.'

'Will you see your Flyer again, mama?'

She shook her head sadly. 'No, child. The Flyers are very strange creatures and they do not age; I would like him to remember me the way I was.'

'But they will always look after you, right?'

The woman leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her son's forehead. 'Of course. They look after everyone, child. Even though they are no longer within the city walls they still protect us. That is what makes them so special to us humans. Now go to sleep; I don't want you to be tired tomorrow.'

Deidara pouted but obeyed and slid further underneath the sheet, still clutching his teddy bear. 'Good night, mama!' he called, as the mother drifted gracefully from the room.

'Good night. Sleep well, my son.'

The blonde waited until her footsteps disappeared before springing out of bed and wandering over the window to stare at the stars. What would it be like to meet a Flyer? Mama said they never aged, so he or she would be very pretty. Maybe he would be able to teach it things! Oh, he wanted to see one so badly! When he was old enough, he would go out looking for them! Yeah, Deidara the traveller! He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the window ledge, gazing up at the night sky and wishing with all his strength. He did this every night and he was sure that one day his wish would come true.

One day, he would meet a Flyer…


	3. Fallen

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

'Where is he?'

'I don't know! I think he went back!'

'Jashin dammit!'

There was another clash of thunder, the bright white light illuminating the pouring night sky and the three winged figures hovering above the city. Their feathers were sodden and heavy from the rain. One with glowing green eyes hissed as a particularly strong gust of wind tried to push him off track. 'We have to go back for him!'

A young woman looked over her shoulder, her blue hair being pulled in all directions by harsh current of air. 'We can't! Sasori can handle himself-'

'But Orochimaru is a fucking twisted bastard! Who knows what he'll do to him?!' yelled another young male. His wings were almost invisible against the sky due to them being a light silvery colour. Suddenly a sharp cry was heard from below them and each of the Flyers looked down just in time to get an excellent view of their redheaded companion being bombarded in mid-air by two dark-winged figures.

The auburn Flyer let out a cry of agony when one of the males managed to grip tightly onto his wing with their hands, digging in with their nails and pulling out the soft feathers. 'Gotcha, you little brat! What pretty feathers but so easily detached, eh?'

The redhead struggled furiously against his captor while still trying to remain in the air, not an easy thing to accomplish especially if injured. He opened his mouth to call to his flock but was instantly silenced when the other figure brought their wing down over his head with such force that it knocked him out cold. The two males grinned malevolently at their slumbering prey but as the one holding him up turned to fly away, he noticed that his grip was slipping. He began to panic as the soft feathers - slick from the torrential rain - were pulled from his grasp.

All Flyers in the air gasped in horror as the redheaded one plummeted towards the ground just inside the city with such speed that a white light began to envelop him. He disappeared beneath the misty clouds and did not reappear. There was a short flurry of feathers as the two dark-winged males began to argue with each other, lashing out and cursing. 'You fucking dropped him you idiot!'

'We can just go and find him!'

'No we can't! He's in the Earth-Walker city! You want to be seen or something? Be my guest!'

Above them the three others simply stared at the clouds beneath them with sad eyes. The female shook her head and called to her two companions, 'Fall back to the nest!'

'But what about Sasori?'

'He'll be fine on his own! There's nothing we can do now! Let's go!'

The two males nodded and obediently flew after the woman towards the cliffs outside the city, leaving the two dark-winged males to argue by themselves.


	4. Gift From The Heavens

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

The blonde sighed heavily and trudged slowly up the path to his house, the moon hovering overhead. He lazily opened the door and walked upstairs, not even bothering to take his shoes off before he went to bed. He just laid there face-down in the pillow. Ugh. He was really beginning to hate his job.

Deidara worked as an apprentice to one of the clay sculptors in the city and it was quite a well-paid job - he had managed to save enough money to buy a house of his own - but the person he worked for was, to put it bluntly, a fucking asshole. Uchiha or not he was still a prick. Deidara used to enjoy his art and his boss was completely sucking the fun out of it. Although, there was one upside…

Deidara groaned and rolled over in bed, before getting up and walking over to his work bench by the window. Being an apprentice meant he could learn a lot of new techniques and that meant he could pursue his dream…

The young man sat down at the work bench and began to look through the blueprints with a pencil between his lips, studying them for any mistakes. This was his little secret. Ever since he was a little kid, he had dreamed of meeting a Flyer and this invention was going to get him there! The Flyers were mysterious creatures and they had wings - hence the name - so he had decided to make his own out of clay! When he figured out how of course, which he would because he was a fucking genius!

He sighed and looked up, gazing out of his window. The night sky was dotted with thousands of tiny stars and the moon shone brightly in the centre, like a jewel in a crown. It was raining heavily and the young man thought he heard the sound of thunder above the misty clouds. Deidara chuckled wryly to himself. He used to look up at this sky every night as a child and wish to meet a Flyer…

Hey, why not do it one more time, eh? Just for the hell of it? Deidara clasped his hands together, feeling like a complete idiot, and whispered, 'I wish…I wish to meet a Flyer, un…'

He closed his eyes and listened for a few minutes. Nothing happened. Oh, well, that was to be expected- Hey, what…?

He narrowed his icy blue eyes and stood up, leaning out of the window. What the fuck was that? Something was streaming across the night sky with phenomenal speed. It appeared to be enveloped in some sort of white light and was heading towards…Oh, shit! Deidara ducked as the thing landed in his garden, creating a bright flash that enveloped the surrounding trees and a noise that shook the foundations of his house. The blonde shut his eyes tightly and pressed his hands to his ears and the sound reverberated through his room, knocking several objects of the shelves and smashing a few of his clay creations.

Then all was silent.

Deidara slowly creaked open one blue eye, and then the other one. Sensing everything had died down; he dashed down the stairs and flung open the door to his garden to see what had landed. Well, he didn't actually own garden anymore. Now he owned a smoking crater. Did he get insurance for that? Damn legal shit…

He carefully picked his way through the debris towards the giant hole, his mind reeling and his heart thumping loudly in his chest. What if it was a fucking UFO? He could discover a whole new species! What would he name it? Of course he had to name it after him! A Deidarian perhaps? No, that would be too cliché. What about a Dei Sapien? Or what if it was something cute and fluffy? If that was the case, the name Dei-Dei sprang to mind.

Wait, was he only thinking about himself here?

No.

He would never do such a selfish thing.

He eventually arrived at the side of the crater and tentatively peered over the edge. A few clouds of black ash wafted up from the depths and he screwed up his nose, swatting them away with his hand. Once the clouds had dispersed, he caught sight of a figure lying in an awkward position at the bottom, and seemed to be wearing a large black cloak which was now singed at the edges. Warily, he crept into the crater and made his way towards the person. When he reached a suitable distance from the ground, he jumped and softly landed on the floor of the basin. The blonde narrowed his eyes and sidled up to the collapsed figure. They were lying on their back unconscious. Now, Deidara didn't know much about all that medical crap but he guessed that wasn't a good sign…

He reached out and poked the figure several times. Was it dead? Or was it just playing dead? The creature let out a low groan and Deidara instantly jumped back. But the figure still didn't move, so the blonde nudged them with the tip of his foot, making them roll over onto their back. Deidara's azure eyes widened.

It was a boy, or at least it looked like one. A very handsome boy. He appeared to be no older than sixteen or seventeen and had fine porcelain skin, framed by messy crimson hair and perfect facial features. The blonde stared at him for a moment, drinking in the image, before deciding the best thing to do would be to remove the cloak and bring him inside. Not because the guy was hot! Pfft! As if he would care about that, in fact he hadn't even noticed!

He reached out and grasped the cloak. The material was far softer than any clothing he had felt before. It had to be silk or something. With one strong yank he pulled the cloak away, but soon gasped and dropped it once he saw what it had been hiding.

Two large, gorgeous tawny wings - one bent in several places - the feathers smouldering and burned at the tips with a few missing.

Deidara froze and the world seemed to freeze around him.

A Flyer!


	5. Ballet Ponies

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

Deidara stared at the boy in shock, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. It was a Flyer…holy fucking shit…

The boy groaned again and tried to move, snapping the blonde out of his trance. He carefully reached down and tried to lift the trembling body. After a good few minutes and a few very unique swear words he managed to put one of the boy's arms over his shoulders and carry him inside his house, placing him on gently on the bed. Man, for someone so small he weighed a ton! It was too late for this and now Deidara had nowhere to sleep because the Flyer's wings took all the room.

Deidara wiped his brow with the back of his hand and looked over at the crimson haired beauty. His chest was gently rising and falling, indicating he must be asleep, and the quiet sound of his soft breathing filled the room.

'Well my wish came true, hm…' whispered Deidara, gazing at the Flyer in disbelief.

He had wanted to meet a Flyer, so God had dropped one in his backyard. Was that how it worked? The young man pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, content in watching his new friend sleep. What was he supposed to do with it when it woke up? He knew it probably wouldn't hurt him; Flyers were known for their protection of humans, but that didn't mean it wouldn't freak out a little. Deidara rested his head in his hands and slowly but surely drifted off to sleep…

* * *

Two brown eyes snapped open and their owner sat up immediately, flinching as a sharp pain shot through their right wing. Where was he? He looked around wildly in every direction, taking in everything that he saw bit by bit; bed, carpet, books, chair with a sleeping blonde in it, and a table. Hold on. He looked over to the side and blinked. A young man was sitting propped up in a wooden chair fast asleep and oblivious to everything around him. Surely such a strange position was uncomfortable? But then again, Earth-Walkers _were _strange.

The redhead twisted his neck, resulting in a satisfying 'click' and winced when he felt a painful throbbing inside his skull. He hesitantly placed a hand in this short red hair and felt around, gasping when he felt a bump beginning to form. Shit. Curse that snake for knocking him out! How was he supposed to communicate with the flock now? He had to get out of here and back to the nest. He tried to stand but let out a hiss of pain; his wing felt as though it were on fire!

The blonde opposite his stirred in his sleep and muttered something about ponies being too cute to wear hats. The Flyer blinked. Yes, Earth-Walkers were strange creatures.

After an intense amount of pain and endurance on his part, the redhead succeeded in standing and tried to hobble to the door but fell and to the floor, unable to drag his injured wing. The noise woke Deidara and he let out a few tired snorts. The Flyer froze on the floor as the blonde yawned loudly and turned around to face the redhead.

Earth-Walker and Flyer locked eyes for a few moments, until the latter broke the silence.

'Careful Earth-Walker, this is still part of your dream. Still dreaming, still dreaming,' the redhead casually began to crawl backwards as he spoke and nudged the door open with his hand. 'Still dreaming, still dreaming-'

'Where are the ponies, hm?' asked the blonde sleepily.

The Flyer blinked several times. 'Er…they decided the best career choice would be…ballet?' he offered sheepishly.

'Oh man! They signed a record deal with me, un!' cried Deidara, 'Fucking ponies, hm…'

'…They say they're sorry.'

'Alright, well I wish them luck and –hey! I'm not fucking sleeping anymore, un!'

The redhead flinched and his coffee eyes widened when Deidara tried to pounce on him. He scrambled around on the floor trying to stand but the burden of his broken wing weighed him down. Instead of getting up and flying gracefully out of the nearest window, he shuffled across the wooden floorboards like a fish out of water, knocking over anything in his way while trying to avoid the obsessed Earth-Walker that was chasing him.

'Get back here, hm! I have questions, un!' cried Deidara. He cornered the Flyer and lunged for him, pinning him to the ground by his healthy wing.

'Get off me, brat!'

'Not until you answer my questions, Flyer, un!'

'Well, I've got a question for you; are you mentally insane?'

'I'm serious, hm! At least let me heal your wing!'

The Flyer paused for a moment, considering the suggestion. Deep down he knew he would never be able to make it to the flock without the use of both wings. He gritted his teeth. The most sensible thing to do would be to stay with the Earth-Walker until he was well enough to travel again. He sighed. How degrading; he was supposed to protect the humans, not the other way around.

Deidara looked at him with hopeful blue eyes. 'Please, hm?'

'…Fine. Now release me.'

The blonde did as he was told and watched with amusement as the Flyer tried valiantly to stand, his broken wing flapping about uselessly.

'Need help, hm?'

'No.'

'Fine.' Deidara sat back down in his chair, trying to hide his giggles as the creature floundered helplessly on his bedroom floor. 'What's your name, hm?'

The crimson haired boy shot him a sharp look. 'Sasori.'

'Well, I'm Deidara, hm. Are you really a Flyer? Or are you just pretending to be one? And where do you come from? Is there a secret base, un? And where do the wings come from? Can I get a pair, hm?'

Sasori sighed heavily and gripped onto a chair leg to help him to stand. Earth-Walkers talked too much…

* * *

_Again, I am very sorry about the inconveniences I have caused by doing this. Please forgive me._

_I appreciate you taking the time to read this and thank you. :)_


	6. Your Food Sucks

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

Two large dark shadows descended into the forest, nothing more than two silhouettes against the brightness of the moon. Their wings beat in perfect unison and sent strong currents of wind onto the tall trees below. One with silver wings and the other with larger deep brown wings that appeared to be stitched up in places. The two figures suddenly pulled up and landed gracefully on the ledge of a cliff that overlooked the city.

They slowly folded in their wings close to their body and crept inside of the crevice, keeping near to each other, their eyes darting in every direction. In the centre of the floor was fire, its orange flames casting dancing shadows around the room.

'Kakuzu. Hidan.'

The two shadows paused and turned in the direction of the noise. There - on one of the ledges inside the cave - were two more figures. One was a tall, stern man with many piercings and orange hair, and another was a young woman. She had blue hair, gorgeous amber eyes and her head was resting under the man's chin, his wing wrapped around her protectively.

The two that had just entered bowed their heads respectfully at the couple. They spoke in unison. One's voice very deep, the other quite light and cocky. 'Leader, Konan.'

The man narrowed his eyes. 'Did you find him?'

'Yes, but we were unable to reach him. He appears to have taken hostel in an Earth-Walker nest.'

'Earth-Walker?'

Kakuzu nodded. 'Yes. We saw him go down just outside the city and the thing reached him before us.'

'…Can you contact him?'

The one known as Hidan raised his head. 'I reckon we could but it will be fucking hard without being seen. Not to mention the fact that the guy had the shit beaten out of him by Mr. Snake and his boyfriend! I told Konan we should go back but-'

'Sasori can take care of himself. I will send Kisame to find him when the sun rises. You say he is with an Earth-Walker? Excellent. We can get him to bring the creature here for us to study…'

The amber-eyed Flyer snuggled into the male's neck. 'Try not to be too forceful, Pein. Our aim is to protect not to destroy.'

The man returned the gesture, nuzzling her nose with his own. 'I know, Konan. We can take care of him; this research is vital and we need their technology to win this war. You know Orochimaru's experiments far exceed our own weapons.'

The woman nodded and Pein turned back to his two followers. They were watching their two leaders closely a little embarrassed by the display of affection. They didn't dare to say anything. Konan was Pein's mate, and that meant any insult to her was also said to him.

'You may sleep tonight.' murmured Pein. He turned to enter his area of the cave, Konan following behind him. 'I am pleased with your work…'

The two men nodded and retreated to their posts for the night.

* * *

'There! It's amazing, just like me, un!'

'…It's very big.'

'Quit complaining, hm. If it wasn't big you wouldn't feel the benefit-'

'What benefit, idiot? It's big, it's long, it's hard and it's going to be difficult to move.'

'You'll get used to it, un. Maybe you'll even learn to love it, hm.'

'…Why exactly do my species protect you?'

Deidara glared at the Flyer and then at the homemade splint that was resting on the workbench. Considering he was only eighteen and had never made one before, he thought it was pretty good. Sasori on the other hand sneered at the creation. After a long night of asking questions – none of which were answered – and very little sleep, the brat had decided that he would build a something for Sasori's injured wing using his 'awesome skills'.

As a result, the wing was lying on his workbench attached to a large lump of timber. Sasori tried to move it, making it shuffle a few inches along the wood. 'I don't care what you say, Earth-Walker. This is too bulky.'

'Nah! Trust me! This will heal your wing in no time, mighty Flyer, un! And it will help you to stand! I'm just fucking marvellous, aren't I?'

The redhead frowned as the blonde danced around the room for a bit. Did all Earth-Walkers have such big egos? He folded his arms. 'Well, you're very full of yourself, aren't you?'

'No. I'm just aware of how good I am. You're lucky I found you. You want something to drink or eat or absorb, hm?'

Sasori stared blankly at the boy. 'Absorb?'

'Well how am I supposed to know what you things do, un?' asked Deidara indignantly, 'So you want food or not? I have chocolate. Do you guys have that?'

The Flyer shook his head and retreated a few steps. 'We are forbidden to taste your food. It's unhealthy processed crap.'

Deidara glared at him, strangely offended. 'What do you mean 'processed crap', hm?'

'It is poison,' stated Sasori, simply, 'Our research tells us that your kind live off of sugar and various harmful chemicals that are of no benefit to the body whatsoever. I'd rather starve.'

'I was just trying to help, un!' hissed the blonde, 'Geez! If your people are so much better than mine then what the fuck do you eat, un?!'

'We hunt for our food and eat natural nutrition. Things that are actually good for you. Berries, fruit, vegetables-'

'I get it, I get it you're all a bunch of health freaks, hm!' interrupted the blonde, disappearing into the adjoining kitchen.

'Fucking Flyer, hm…' he muttered, grabbing several chocolate bars and a couple of sodas from the cupboard. He turned to go but something within made him pause. It was that annoying whiney voice inside that urges you to do something nice for someone else and to do the right thing. Growling at himself for being such a pushover, he turned back. He took out another soda and swiped one of the bananas from the bowl of fruit on the kitchen table.

He entered the bedroom again and practically threw the banana and the can at the Flyer, who was now sitting at his desk and looking through the blueprints as if he owned the place. Sasori caught the two items easily and watched as Deidara lay down on the bed, his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. 'You better be fucking grateful, un,' muttered the blonde, opening his chocolate with haste.

Sasori shot him an aloof look. He knew that the fruit was a banana but he was admittedly clueless as to what the other item was.

He held the mysterious can in his hands and stared for a while at its colourful surface. The language of the Flyers had originally come from that of the Earth-Walkers and although both species could understand each other, their writing styles and alphabets had long since been divided.

At the nest, only Pein and Konan could read the language of the Earth-Walkers fluently. The others could only pick out certain words and phrases that had been taught to them.

Coca…Cola?

Sasori blinked and held the can to his lips. Deidara watched from the bed and gasped when the Flyer sunk his teeth into the metal surface of the can, biting off a corner and spilling the contents across the desk. It missed the blueprints Deidara had been working on be mere centimetres. The redhead chewed thoughtfully on the metal for a moment before making a weird face and promptly spitting it out of the window, also throwing out what was left of the can.

A crash was heard from outside as a motorbike skidded to a halt, followed by the classic sound of a cat mewling at the top of its lungs.

Unfazed, Sasori turned back to the Earth-Walker who was staring at him with wide blue eyes.

'Your food sucks.'

'That's 'cause you're not supposed to eat the fucking metal, un!' yelled Deidara.

'Why hide food in a metal case?'

'I don't fucking know! That's just the way things are, hm!' hissed the younger male, closing the window in case anything else was chucked outside, 'You've been here less than a day and you're already ruining everything, un!'

'Is that any way to repay someone who watches over your pathetic civilisation?'

'Shut the hell up, un! Stop being such a bastard!'

Sasori stared at him with lazy apathetic brown eyes as he continued to rant. Earth-Walkers had short tempers, didn't they? Perhaps their position in society was based on the number of offensive words they could cram into one sentence…

The Flyer chuckled at the thought and tuned out to what the blonde was saying, peeling the banana. At least he was familiar with this food; a great source of potassium according to the flock's medic, Kakuzu. As much as he disliked the idea of accepting food from Deidara, he knew he would need the strength. He covered the top of the banana with his mouth and raised a slim eyebrow when he noticed Deidara had stopped yelling and was now staring at him.

Deidara's cheeks turned a light pink as several unwanted images rushed into his head, which was enough to make him forget his anger for a brief moment. 'I wouldn't do that, un.'

'Do what?'

'Make eye contact with someone while eating a banana, hm,' whispered Deidara, his blush becoming deeper.

'Why?'

'Some dirty perverted people think it looks wrong, un,' he muttered.

'Like you?'

'You asshole, hm! I'm not a pervert!'

Sasori smirked and began gleefully lapping at the sides of the banana with his pink tongue. 'You mean, I shouldn't do this then, Earth-Walker?' he asked, his voice muffled by the fruit.

Deidara glared at him, his cheeks a deep red. He was beginning to think that perhaps Flyers weren't as nice as people made them out to be. He didn't understand. His mother had always told him they were magical brave and selfless creatures. Beings that would give their very life for another in a second.

This one was being a dick.

'Shut up or I'll beat you with your own splint, un!'

'You couldn't if you tried, brat.'

'Quit calling me that, hm!'

'…Brat.'

Deidara twitched violently and Sasori smirked smugly at him, taking a bite of the banana and finishing it quickly. He calmly stood up from the desk chair and handed the yellow skin to the blonde who was trying to stop himself from strangling the new creature in his bedroom.

'Thank you for that,' murmured the redhead, still with that conceited grin etched into his perfect doll-like face.

'…I fucking hate you so much right now, hm.'

* * *

_So there's another chapter. Then next one should be out soon also as I have already written half of it. :)_

_Anarchy thanks you for your support! :D_


	7. Preferences

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Akatsuki or any of the characters/concepts featured. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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Deidara walked out of the kitchen, adjusting his shirt and slacks as he did so. He had refused to get dressed in front of the Flyer and so he had gone to the other room to do so; he still had work after all. In his arms he held some of his spare clothes for Sasori to wear. He knew he would have to take the creature with him to work in case he a) was discovered or b) destroyed the house somehow.

The blonde rudely turned his nose up in disgust when he realised what Sasori had started doing during his absence.

The redhead was calmly sitting on the blonde's bed with his healthy wing spread out to the side of him. His nimble slender fingers flitted across its surface, smoothing down any stray feathers that were out of place and removing any that were damaged due to his fall. As a result Deidara's bed was now littered with small brown fluffs, several spilling over and floating to the floor.

Deidara picked up one of the pieces of fuzz and scowled. Ew. 'Why the fuck are you moulting all over my bed, un?'

Sasori paused in his ministrations to look up and give the other male a haughty look. It was the kind of look a cat would give to its owner when it had decided to sit somewhere it wasn't allowed.

It was still only early in the morning and the two males had already had several heated arguments, including one about whether or not flying was better than walking. The Flyer wasn't in the mood for another game of questions. 'It's called grooming,' he answered simply.

'Right…why do it on my bed, hm?'

'Relax Earth-Walker. Research shows your kind use feathers for making nests,' said Sasori. He bounced up and down a little on the blonde's bed to emphasis his point. 'Like this one.'

'Like hell I'm stuffing your mangy feathers in my pillows, hm. I'll probably get fleas and - hey, cut it out!'

Sasori ignored him and began shedding more of his feathers across the blonde's sheets in plain defiance. 'I do not have fleas, brat. I take care of myself which is more than can be said for you. You may want to try cleaning sometime; I can smell you from a mile away…'

Deidara cursed and pointed a finger at the Flyer, 'Shut the hell up, hm! I've had enough of your shit!'

'No, seriously, find a waterfall and clean yourself up. If you're lucky you may even attract a female…'

The blonde opened his mouth to respond with an insult, and then he closed it. He smirked proudly. 'I don't swing that way, un.'

Sasori looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, not understanding. 'What do you mean?'

'I don't go for women, hm.'

The redhead looked taken aback for a brief moment. He blinked. 'Then how do you pass on your genes? I am given to understand that male Earth-Walkers cannot give birth-'

'They can't, hm.'

'Then what is the point in mating with them?'

Deidara flushed a deep red from embarrassment. 'I'm not talking about this with you, un! Just put these on!' he yelled, dumping the pile of clothes he was carrying at Sasori's feet.

The redhead glowered at him, 'Why must I?'

'You're coming to work with me. If you're gonna stay here, then you've got to earn something, un. I'm not leaving you here by yourself…'

'Really? I'm touched, Earth-Walker. You care for me so much that you wish to never part with me.'

'…Bullshit, un.'

The creature chuckled and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He poked the pile of suspicious material with his foot. It wasn't nearly as soft as the clothing his flock had fashioned. Konan had made their clothes from a fine silk that she had managed to take from one of the other Earth-Walker nests once. Clearly not all of the species could afford such luxuries. He bent over and picked up the trench coat, eyeing it distastefully. It was one of those long brown ones that almost hit the floor. It was awfully big…

Deidara guessed what he was thinking and sighed heavily, 'It'll hide the wings, hm…'

The Flyer growled as he stood up off the bed and, much to Deidara's horror, he began to undress right in front of the blonde as if he couldn't give a single fuck. The younger male froze and his eyes grew wider than dishes. He wanted to look away but he couldn't.

Sasori turned to face him and raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'What's wrong with you?'

The blonde twitched several times and tried unsuccessfully to focus only on the Flyer's face. But his eyes kept slipping downwards against his will and trailing over the creature's flawless toned body. He felt his cheeks begin to burn as blood rushed to them, as well as somewhere else. 'You're naked, hm…' he whispered.

'And?'

'You're naked…in my room, un.'

'Well spotted.'

'Why the hell are you naked in my room, hm?!'

The Flyer gave him an odd look and picked up the first item of clothing which happened to be a pair of boxers. 'You're male, I presume? I'm also male,' he stated matter-of-factly, 'It's nothing you haven't seen given your sexual preferences and such.'

Deidara turned his head to the side, his cheeks the brightest scarlet at how easily Sasori could talk about those things. He covered his eyes with his hands but kept peeking through his fingers against his will. He was silently begging for the creature to hurry up and get dressed but Sasori was taking his sweet time.

Sasori gave the Earth-Walker a suspicious look when he noticed the younger male was practically cowering in the corner of the room, his arms shielding his face. 'Brat?'

'W-what, hm?'

'Seeing as you go for males would you ever try to mate with me?'

Deidara flushed pure crimson and choked on thin air. He spluttered, 'Fuck no, un! That's disgusting! You're not even my kind, hm!'

'Then why are you staring at my body?'

'I'm not staring, un! My hands are covering my eyes, dumbass! There's no way I'm admiring anything, hm!'

Sasori smirked. 'I didn't say anything about admiring.'

Deidara's hid his face completely out of shame and he pointed in the general direction of the Flyer's new outfit with a quivering hand. 'Just put the damn clothes on, hm!'

Sasori rolled his eyes and did as the deranged Earth-Walker wanted, folding his healthy wing flat against his body so that it didn't interfere. Well, that was some new information. Earth-Walkers could be in love with either gender if they wanted, regardless of whether or not they could reproduce that way. But why were they so easily embarrassed? In the flock everyone spoke about these things as if they were completely normal. Heck, you could hear Konan and Leader mating throughout the entire cave on some nights. It was what mates did.

It was just a natural process, wasn't it? Perhaps things were different with Earth-Walkers…

Sasori quickly made himself a mental note to pass this information to the flock when he saw them next. Hopefully, someone would have been sent to collect him by now. They wouldn't just abandon him; loyalty was essential for survival.

Still, he hoped they wouldn't come too soon; he wanted to see where Deidara worked. In fact, he wanted to see more of the Earth-Walker city as a whole.

He had a feeling he could learn some useful things…

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_And there is the next chapter for ya! I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :D_

_In the next chapter Sasori shall get his first proper glimpse of the Earth-Walker city. And a glimpse of Dei's boss of course. Oh goody, what fun shall we have here I wonder? ;)_

_Anarchy always appreciates a review, but no once again no flames please. _


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